Tag Archives: celebrity

COLDPLAY No.1 Album Painting for Sale in London for Kids Company

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COLDPLAY AND PARIS FOR KIDS COMPANY29th November – 2nd December 2012

 

COLDPLAY AND PARIS ARE TO HOST AN EXCLUSIVE EXHIBITION OF ORIGINAL COLDPLAY ARTWORK AT PROUD GALLERIES, CAMDEN FROM 29 NOVEMBER – 2 DECEMBER. 100% OF PROCEEDS FROM ARTWORK SALES WILL GO TO KIDS COMPANY, A CHILDREN’S CHARITY WHICH PROVIDES EMOTIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT TO VULNERABLE CHILDREN.

COLDPLAY posted this about it yesterday:  www.coldplay.com/newsdetail.php?id=1106

 

Coldplay have arranged an exclusive exhibition in conjunction with Kids Company, a charity that the group have supported for the last four years. The show, to open at Proud Galleries, Camden on 29 November, will feature three original paintings on canvas by Coldplay and their ‘Mylo Xyloto’ artwork collaborator Paris, as well as the original 7m X 2.5m graffiti wall that became the album artwork. A second wall painted by young children from Kids Company and Paris will be displayed alongside Coldplay’s larger wall.
Also available to purchase: three high-quality prints of the ‘Mylo Xyloto’ album artwork (each a limited edition of 8 and signed by the band); three high-quality album artwork prints (each a limited edition of 650 and signed by Paris); and unseen photographs from Coldplay’s ‘Mylo Xyloto’ world tour taken by Miller (aka Roadie #42), the band’s official tour photographer.

All work is for sale, with 100% of proceeds going to Kids Company, a children’s charity which reaches out to over 17,000 vulnerable young people in the most deprived areas of London. Coldplay’s last public benefit for the charity was in December 2011 when the group were joined by guest artists including Tinie Tempah and Emeli Sande in a benefit show at the 02 in London.


Chris Martin said; “Kids Company is a phenomenal organization that is very close to our hearts. While we were making the last album we did quite a lot of painting with our friend Paris. We built a special wall in our studio and sprayed it, wrote on it and threw things at it until it eventually became the artwork for ‘Mylo Xyloto’. This exhibition will be the first time that the wall has appeared in public”.

Will Champion added; “The big wall and the three paintings are all one-off Coldplay/Paris originals. The money raised will make a big difference to some of London’s most vulnerable children”.

Camila Batmanghelidjh, founder and Kids Company CEO, said; “The support Coldplay have given us over the years has been amazing. Art plays a major role in Kids Company’s work with vulnerable children: kids who have experienced trauma often find it easier to express themselves using art materials rather than words. Our recent award-winning exhibition in partnership with the Royal Academy demonstrated this very powerfully and poignantly”.

Dark Hearts Director Rudolf Buitendach On Film & Inspiration

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Frost went along to the world premier of Dark Hearts at the 2012 Raindance Film Festival. We had lots of fun and really enjoyed the film. Here is our interview with the film’s director, Rudolf.

Tell us about Dark Hearts

Dark Hearts is on one level a neo-noir, a film that gives a voice to the dark side – on another it is a film about passion and obsession and the thin line in-between. How some of us will give anything for our art,

Dark Hearts is an impressive first film. Are you happy with the finished film?

I find it very hard to watch anything I’ve done objectively, but thanks.


Dark Hearts reminded me of a film noir. Can you tell us about the general look and feel you were going for?

Yes, as mentioned above I consider it a neo-noir. I based the film’s palette on the rust and decay of Downtown LA’s art district. With the help of Travis Zariwny, a great production designer, Kees Van Oostrum a great DP and Suzanne Barnes, a great costume designer we wanted the ‘mise en scene’ to be portraits in themselves. I think we succeeded quite well in places, despite our modest budget.

Dark Hearts is your first feature film. Was it scary making the leap?

It wasn’t scary at all as I had done quite a few shorts at this point, I just wished I had a bit more time to enjoy losing my ‘feature virginity’

Tells us a bit about you. How did you get into film?

I was studying law when I saw a film that changed my life, Wim Wenders’ Wings Of Desire. I finally knew what I wanted to do with my life and enrolled in film school, I was hooked for life.

What is the hardest thing about directing films?

Everyone with a TV and a Facebook account fancies themselves a critic and no matter how hard you try to be original, someone will always try and rain on your parade

How was the process of financing?

It was very tough and in true indie style we didn’t have an official green light even days before the filming was about to commence. But I was very lucky that I had a brave producer Jack Bowyer who believed in me when push came to shove.

How did you choose the actors?

I had wonderful casting agents Lisa Essary and Heidi Levitt who brought most of the actors to audition and I picked them from there, apart from Lucas Till who came through a brilliant agent Larry Shapiro.

You had quite a short shooting schedule. Do you think that was a help or a hindrance?

It was neither, just a whirlwind.

Who is your inspiration?

I have many, starting with Luis Bunuel, the surrealist painters, the symbolists up to modern filmmakers like Park Chan Wook, Lynch, Gilliam, Cronenberg, Greenaway and Roy Andersson.

The film has an amazing score. Who chose the music?

I did, I’m lucky in that a lot of the artists were my friends. I also had help from a musical supervisor extraordinaire Bruce Lampcov.

What is next for you?

I am in post on my second feature ‘Where The Road Runs Out’ starring Isaach De Bankole, with another 2 scripts ready to roll, any financiers out there?

The Comic Strip Presents ‘Five Go To Rehab’

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Three decades after the renowned Five Go Mad in Dorset, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Peter Richardson and Ade Edmondson return to celebrate 30 years of the series, with The Comic Strip Presents ‘Five Go To Rehab’, which premieres on 7th November on GOLD at 9pm.

The famous children’s characters have been brought back from the past to confront today’s modern world, but this time they must account for their outmoded racist and sexist views. But the quintet seem blissfully unrepentant as they gather for a reunion on Dick’s birthday in leafy Dorset – still a magical land of rolling hills, woods, ruined castles and dodgy villains in big black cars.

Dick (Ade Edmondson) has changed little since those early years and is now Assistant Manager for Plasmold, a plastic guttering company in Dorking. Eager to rekindle the joys of their Famous Five youth, he has engineered a few surprises for their reunion. However the others are not as keen to revisit their past. George (Dawn French) is a struggling alcoholic with a string of ex-husbands behind her and only faithful Timmy by her side. Julian (Peter Richardson) having disappeared to Equatorial Guinea for many years, apparently working for a dubious ‘charity’, is now also in need of a stint in rehab. Anne (Jennifer Saunders) the pretty shy one never did become the ‘perfect housewife’. Now a militant feminist / animal rights campaigner, she lives life on the edge of a nervous breakdown.

The famous five are met along the way by a number of familiar faces. Robbie Coltrane returns as a guest house landlady and lecherous Gypsy. Stephen Mangan plays a sexually charged actor, eager to impress Anne and Nigel Planer returns as a police inspector and sinister barmaid. Rik Mayal plays an evil villain who is determined to decapitate a terrified Julian and Daniel Peacock also makes an appearance as snubbed Toby Thurlow who has had 30 years to plan his revenge on the famous five.

Five Go To Rehab was created by the award winnings writers Peter Richardson and Pete Richens who wrote the original Five Go Mad in Dorset film and have since collaborated on many of the Comic Strip films including The Strike, A Fistful Of Travellers Cheques, Four Men In A Car and more recently the highly acclaimed The Hunt for Tony Blair. Five Go to Rehab was directed by Peter Richardson and produced by Nick Smith who also produced The Hunt for Tony Blair.

‘The Comic Strip Presents ‘Five Go To Rehab’, 7th November on GOLD 9pm.

Celebrity Cookbooks Popular at Christmas, But Remain Unwrapped

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OCADO, has revealed that despite stocking up on the latest celebrity cookbooks ahead of the Christmas season, one in ten Brits admit to never even opening them, with almost half (41%) of us only pulling them off the shelf when they need to make ‘something special’.

Even though half of the population say that they own at least four cookbooks, research from the online grocer reveals that busy lifestyles mean Brits don’t have the time to rustle up a meal from scratch, let alone break the spine on their mountain of cookbooks, with five per cent of those quizzed claiming that they don’t spend any time at all cooking each day.

However it seems as though the humble recipe book is not dead, with Ocado predicting that cookbooks are set to be a staple stocking filler this festive season, including the new titles from Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson and Heston Blumenthal.

Meanwhile, Ocado have also reported that sales of celebrity cookbooks have risen by 250% this year alone. Mouth-watering reads are also beginning to eclipse must-read erotica with the diet cookbook from The Hairy Chefs arousing more interest than 50 Shades of Grey, pushing sensationalist author E.L James off her throne on number one bestsellers lists.

Despite half of Brits showcasing exotic cookbooks on their shelves, findings reveal that the meals most regularly cooked are traditional classics like Spaghetti Bolognaise (60%), meat & two veg style roast dinners (54%) and sausage and mash (48%), with only a handful of Brits regularly taking on more exotic dishes such as Thai curry (16%) or Paella (10%).

Over a quarter of British foodies admit to tuning into at least two food programmes a week, with Masterchef (56%) and Great British Bake Off (34%) being firm favourites in the nation’s homes. However, despite immersing themselves in celebrity cook books and TV shows, when quizzed how long they spend preparing and cooking grub, a staggering 78 per cent said they managed to prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner in less than 30 minutes.

Jason Gissing, Ocado co-founder states: “We know that Brits love to buy all of the latest celebrity cookery books and enjoy watching recipes being created on TV, but many of us just don’t have the time to recreate delicious meals for ourselves. At Ocado you can browse recipes from some of the UK’s top chefs, shop for ‘must have’ cookery books and order ingredients for delivery straight to your door. Plus Ocado offers everyday products alongside rarer, hard to find ingredients, making it quick and easy to buy everything you need all in one place, so you can spend your time creating your own delicious masterpiece.

Christmas customers also can make their life even easier by shopping for their family gifts and festive fare in one simple click – forget the queues and the festive rush!”

For further information on Ocado’s own selection of tasty recipes and ingredients, visit www.ocado.com/webshop/recipes/.

TEDxEaling

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Ted Talks are now famous, and when they came along to Ealing I went along with my film business partner, Steve McAleavy.

We had a brilliant time and there was some really brilliant talks. TedXEaling was brought to Ealing by Chris Jones, film director and owner of Living Spirit pictures. Below is some of the people who talked at the event. I had a brilliant time and met some amazing people.

 

Sebastien Foucan: Our relationship with fear

Sebastien Foucan is the founder and creator of freerunning. Sebastien is well known for his views on the philosophy behind freerunning and is an ambassador for the discipline in many countries across the globe.

Seema Anand: The Art Of Seduction

The ancient arts of Courtesanery and Seduction were once treated as high philosphy, with divine and academic associations. Dr. Seema Anand explores how these narratives have been lost and in the evolution of their vocabulary, the implications have changed. Working with the range of what ‘story’ can mean to an individual Seema facilitates the learning processes of ‘telling’, ‘listening’, ‘acknowledging’ and ‘rejecting’ the narratives that make up our lives and our social interactions to enhance communication, build links and open dialogue.

Jarred McGinnis: Writing is the Only Magic I Still Believe In

Jarred McGinnis will share his passion for stories and demonstrate the power of words from Speech Act Theory to the genius that is the children’s book ‘That’s Not My Pirate’. Jarred is an American living in London, and the co-founder of the literary variety night, The Special Relationship. His fiction has been commissioned for BBC Radio 4, and appeared in journals in the UK, USA and Ireland. He is wickedtomocktheafflicted.com. In addition to writing fiction, he holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence.

Eve Hazelton: Film Director of Photography

How does light and shadow impact on our understanding of story? As a Director of Photography, it is Eve’s job to visualize a story and use the tools of her craft to translate that into a film. With the stereotype of a DoP’s role to be all about camera’s, Eve explores how other area’s of her job are equally, if not more important. Eve is the Director of Photography and Editor for Realm Pictures, an independent film company based in the UK. Her’s are the eyes which reveal the stories that the team at Realm want to tell.

Linda Potgieter: A purpose driven life

Linda Potgieter has enjoyed a rewarding 22 year career predominantly focused on designing and delivering communications solutions. Director of a locally based training and consulting firm, she has spent the past eight years designing and delivering communication and negotiation training across 14 countries. Linda’s inspirational delivery style is driven by her passion for the human connection within negotiations.

Chris Atkins: Lies and Truth – How to get to the truth of a story by telling lies

Chris’ first doc, Taking Liberties, is about the loss of civil liberties in the UK and is a polemical and entertaining theatrical feature. In June 2007 the film was released theatrically and was one of the highest-grossing documentaries of 2007. Chris was nominated for a BAFTA – The Carl Foreman Award for best writer, director or producer in their first feature film. He has since produced a slew of controversial documentaries for both cinema and TV.

 

Dekay: Urban Poetry

Dekay will perform a rap from her latest album and teach us about storytelling in a different form. Dekay is an unsigned rapper/songwriter/producer from Camden, North West London. With a back catalouge of 3 mixtapes and an album, Dekay has been battling, rhyming and shotting cds in the endz for the last 8 years.

 

Daniel Sloss: It’s just a story

Scotland’s Daniel Sloss is currently one of the fastest rising stars of UK comedy. He started doing stand-up aged 16, has appeared on numerous TV shows including ‘Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow’ plus his own BBC show ‘The Adventures of Daniel’ and tours extensively thoughout the UK as well as internationally.He will be talking about how comedy is a series of short and truthful stories.

 

Will Brooker: Tales of the Dark Knight

After 73 years in popular culture, Batman has become more than a corporate product and commercial property; he also belongs to generations of readers and fans who circulate their own stories around him, and keep his legend alive. Will Brooker is Director of Research in Film and Television at Kingston University, London. He is the author and editor of several books on popular culture and audience, including Batman Unmasked, Using the Force, the BFI Film Classics volume on Star Wars and, most recently, Hunting the Dark Knight: 20th Century Batman.

David Varela: Throw your Story from a Plane

David Varela is a London-based writer and producer. He has written for film, theatre, radio, magazines, ebooks and games, creating some of the world’s most exciting transmedia projects along the way. These include Lewis Hamilton: Secret Life (for Reebok), Xi (for Sony PlayStation) and most recently The Seed, a transmedia story combining four plays, a treasure hunt and online characters, as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. He is currently developing an original drama series for Channel 4.

Emily James: Shooting Outlaws without Hurting Anyone

After her first broadcast commission, The Luckiest Nut in the World (C4, 2002), the Guardian asserted “Emily James is a genius”. Following the experimental Don’t Worry, (C4, 2004) and What Would Jesus Drive?, (C4, 2006) Emily’s attention has now shifted to feature documentaries, acting as Executive Producer on the acclaimed The Age of Stupid (2009). Her feature directing debut, Just Do It: A tale of modern day outlaws screened in over 45 independent cinemas across the UK in Summer 2011.

Richard Newman: Inspire and Motivate People with PRO

Working with 17,000 people across 45 countries Richard discovered there is a story-telling method that motivates all of us, called the PRO system. His team have helped clients win business worth over £1.6 billion, working on pitches and presentations to make them stand out from the crowd. Clients include the McLaren Formula 1 Team, KPMG and IBM. Recently he has been working with 20th Century Fox and Warner Brothers, to promote their TV shows about body language.

Julian Friedmann: The mystery of storytelling

How we tell stories seems to be a mysterious process that millions around the world want to be able to do, but 99.9% effectively fail. Why is it so hard for storyteller and audience to be one? What we communicate can change the lives of the writer and the audience. However, why stories matter and how to tell them better may not be as mysterious as it seems. Julian Friedmann has worked with writers for over 40 years; he believes understanding that storytelling is more about the audience than the writer will result in better storytelling.

Martin Lee: The Story Of My Shame

The redemptive power of ‘story’ for both businesses and people.

Martin Lee is a director of 26, the business writers’ collective that exists to inspire a greater love of words in business and in life. In his day job, he is a co-founder of Acacia Avenue, a boutique qualitative research consultancy whose purpose is to make business recommendations to its clients as long as they are in the interests of their customers. Before taking to agency life, Martin worked in the book business, culminating in being the Marketing Director at Waterstone’s.

Linda Haysman: The Costume Designer

What story does the clothes you wear tell? Linda Haysman is an experienced Costume Designer and has worked in theatre, film and television. Linda will be exploring story telling through Costume Design and it’s effect on audience perceptions.

 

 

TEDxEaling 2012 Hosts and Entertainers

Chris Jones – Filmmaker, author and TEDxEaling creator

Having made feature films, an Oscar shortlisted short film, written seven books on filmmaking, run the London Screenwriters’ Festival and subsequently trained literally thousands of filmmakers and screenwriters around the world, TEDxEaling themes on ‘Story’ was both a logical AND challenging step for Chris. He will be introducing TEDxEaling and looks forward to sitting in the audience with you.

Walter Lewis: TEDxEaling Master Of Ceremonies

Walter is an established actor, voice artist and corporate trainer.  He has worked in TV, film, and theatre on both sides of the Atlantic, and has been a long-standing member of the The Reduced Shakespeare Company.  Other credits include: “Red Badge of Courage” (Naxos Books), “Never the Sinner” (Manchester Library), “East of Eden” and “Auntie Mame” (BBC Radio), “1408” & “The Dark Knight”. As an American living in the UK he loves the British sunshine…

 

Catherine Arton: Casting Director

Firing your creative synapses. Catherine Arton is a casting director, motivational speaker, director, and story teller of old. Having studied English Literature at University and Acting at LAMDA, Catherine has a true passion for story and story telling. Catherine will use some of her own specially devised techniques and ideas to help the conference attendees to get into the best possible mindset for the TEDx conference.

Dark Hearts World Premiere | Raindance 2012

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At the beginning of the Raindance Film Festival Frost went along to the world premiere of Dark Hearts. I had a good chat with lead actor Kyle Schmid and director Rudolf Buitendach. Rudolf is very friendly and I will be interviewing him shortly.

Dark Hearts is an oxymoron: a modern film which is also an old fashioned film noir. Made on a low budget, Dark Hearts is a technical achievement of the highest order. Rudolf Buitendach’s directorial debut looks beautiful and is very well done. It also has a famous cast including Goran Visnjic (Ridley Scott’s The Counselor, E.R., Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Beginners),  Lucas Till (X-Men, Wolves, Stoker, Paranoia), Sonja Kinski (daughter of Nastassja Kinski), Kyle Schmid (Lead Star of Copper – BBC America) and Juliet Landau (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Ed Wood). Rudolf Buitendach is obviously well connected and Dark Hearts has some talented people working on it.
Dark Hearts was nominated for BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM at the 2012 Raindance Film Festival and is in the running for possible BIFA nominations as well. The acting is strong and it is a very enjoyable film. I loved Dark Hearts. Go see it if you can. An impressive debut from director Rudolf Buitendach.

 
Supporting star Rachel Blanchard (Snakes on a Plane, Clueless)
Director Rudolf Buitendach (Cannes-Venice Shorts Alum, Trailer for Bronson)
DP Kees Van Oostrum (2x Emmy-Nominated DP of Gods & Generals, Gettysberg)
Screenwriter Christian Piers Betley (13 Eerie, Stranded)
Executive Producer Jack Bowyer (Private Peaceful, Gallowwalker)
Gabrial McNair of No Doubt (Original Score Composer)
Paul Oakenfold (Original Score Composer)
Richard Strange (Original Score Composer)

 

Colson is an artist struggling to make it in the frenetically paced downtown LA art scene. When his brother Sam lands on his doorstep, Colson finds himself drawn back to the fractured family set-up that he felt lucky to have left behind. Out for a night on the town, the brothers run into sultry singer Fran. They both fall in love but Colson becomes obsessed and a passionate affair ensues.


Prodded by an influential gallery owner to push his work that much further, Colson stumbles across the perfect red and the power of painting in blood. Soon it seems like he’s made a deal with the devil as he immerses himself in an affair with Fran that has deception and betrayal looming in the background.

Sonja Kinski, daughter of Natassja, is stunning as Fran, having inherited not only her mother’s dark beauty but her acting skills and too, and she proves a powerfully magnetic muse. A real bonus is the film’s score which features some of the hippest artists around; tracks are provided by Einstuerzende Neubauten, Shirley Manson from Garbage, Fairuza Balk and Daniel J from Bauhaus and Love and Rockets. A debut feature from South African born director Rudolf Buitendach, this is a stylish odyssey that proves as alluring as LA itself.

Mark Potts Cinema Six Interview | Raindance 2012

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The Raindance Film Festival was as brilliant as ever, and we have an exclusive interview with Mark Potts, director of one of the festival’s films, Cinema Six.

1. What made you want to be a filmmaker?
– It was probably a few things. First, The Blair Witch Project. It’s embarrassing to admit, but that got me into it initially. My friends and I took my dad’s Hi-8 camera and made a parody of it. It was a little over 2 hours long. I edited it with VCRs and honestly, I cannot really remember how I set it up. It was two VCRs connected to a television and the camera and somehow it worked. But from there, my high school Spanish teacher encouraged my friends and I to do a public access show, and we did that. Then, I started working at a movie theatre, met Cole, and it just clicked. That theatre was my second home and I loved being there. And the feeling I got being there and immersing myself in films and just escaping life made me fall in love with cinema. I wanted to give someone else that experience, that escape, and some relaxation.

2. Tell us about yourself
I’m currently living in Los Angeles but am from Oklahoma. My partner in crime, Cole Selix, and I met in Enid, Oklahoma while going to school together and working at the movie theatre. We started Singletree Productions in 2006 and have made, literally, 100s of shorts and four features (most can be seen on singletreeproductions.com, even the first three features.) I am married to Hailey Branson-Potts, who works at the Los Angeles Times and she is a million times funnier and smarter than I am but don’t put that in the story because then she’ll be a dick about it.

3. You were co-writer and director of Cinema Six. How did you find directing your own work?
Cole and I have been directing our own stuff for years, so it isn’t too difficult for us now. If anything, while directing, we discover all the things we missed while writing and it creates this odd paradox of feelings where we feel like good directors but bad writers. But a lot of that is because Cole and I are always changing stuff, trying to make it better, trying to make things snappier, funnier, more emotional. And that’s why we asked a lot of the guys who worked on it to come aboard because we trust their opinions and tastes and wanted them to help make us better.

4. Tell us about Cinema Six.
Cinema Six has been around for about nine years. Cole and I first started talking about it while working in the movie theatre back in 2003. Of course, at that time, the script was really just un-connected scenes of us messing with customers and complaining about customers and being jerks to customers. Since that point, Cole and I have moved multiple times, gone to college, gotten married, had kids (Cole has two awesome kids, I have a pug) and have gone through some big changes which all can be seen in the version of the film now. It’s a love letter to the cinema and a commentary on growing up and just doing whatever you have to do to be happy.

5. What was the hardest thing about making the film?
Oddly enough, there wasn’t anything too difficult about making the film. The two biggest things were the budget because we were very limited and finding the perfect movie theatre. We needed a theatre that was older, not that flashy, and still ran film. It’s hard to find film theatres, which makes me sad. For me as an actor, the hardest part was remembering lines. I don’t memorize lines, which is terrible. Brand Rackley and John Merriman, the other two leads, are as professional as you can get and they were always prepared even as far as to tell me my lines. It was embarrassing but also humbling to know I had two friends and actors that cared enough to do that and not give me too much shit for it.

6. Where did you get the funding?
We received our funding from Reilly Smith and some of his family and friends. They chose to believe in all of us and I will forever be in their debt. There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t pray to God we make their money back. They deserve it because they took a chance on some young filmmakers who just wanted to talk about growing up and tell vulgar jokes. I can never thank them enough.

7. How did it feeling getting into Raindance?
It was shocking and awesome! I was dumbfounded by the news and still kind of am. I am incredibly upset I couldn’t make it as well. But, we did make a special video Q&A that we hope people stay and watch. It answers a lot of questions. Not really.

8. What advice what you give to others filmmakers?
The best advice I have is to keep making things. Just keep making, even if it’s bad. We made many, many bad things. We still do. But we’re always making something and you learn something from every video and every mistake. Watch movies, read screenplays, make stuff.

9. You co-wrote the script, can you tell us about your writing process.
Cole and I have written scripts together for over six years. Our process is pretty solid now. When we get ideas, we talk about them for a long time. We throw around jokes and scene ideas and if we still love it months later, then we feel like it’s worth writing and trying to make. This process has weeded out many, many ideas and I love doing it. Just talking things through and seeing what sticks. When we’re at a point that we want to write it, we’ve talked about it so much that it really just needs to be put on paper, so I write it all out, then we get to ripping it apart and fixing it.

10. What’s next for you?
I’m hoping to start another feature next year. I have a few ideas and none of them are like Cinema Six, which excites me. They are all funny, but much, much darker.

Vogue On Designers | Book Review

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VOGUE ON

Elsa Schiaparelli, Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, and Alexander McQueen

Out Now, £15 each, hardback

 

 Sometimes I love my job, and the opportunity to review these books was one of those times. These books are as beautiful, elegant and enjoyable as the designers the books are about. I love the layout of the books and each one has great quotes from the designer.

Vogue on: Coco Chanel, by Bronwyn Cosgrave. Vogue on Chanel may be a short book but it is incredibly comprehensive. The book is full of pictures and quotes. It is hard to read the story of Coco Chanel’s life and not be inspired by what an amazing business women she was. To Vogue’s credit it does not brush over the rumours about Nazi collaboration (Chanel had an affair with a German officer during World War II) and the book is well-researched and beautifully written. The Vogue archive pictures are to-die-for and I learnt a lot from reading this book. Coco Chanel managed to leave her mark, not just fashion, but also the world. An excellent businesswomen she built an entire empire by creating a signature look.

Coco Chanel’s private life was as interesting as her business. She dated the Duke of Westminster and traveled in high society. She was backed by Kitty De Rothschild who stated, “I shan’t buy a thing without showing her. That child’s got more taste than the rest put together.” After this stamp of approval the elite of the day bought her clothes in droves, and still do.

I loved this book. It is a triumph for Bronwyn Cosgrave. A perfect gift for Christmas and beyond.

 

Vogue on: Alexander McQueen,  by Chloe Fox. This book is different from the others as I actually remember Alexander McQueen, and was very upset when he tragically took his own life. He is the most modern of the fashion designers and I remember some of the collections. For 15 years the mouthy, East-End, working-class boy-did-good, McQueen was deliberately controversial.

Talented beyond belief, McQueen was also arrogant, likable and visionary. He knew how to be quotable and work the press as much as he knew how to design beautiful, wearable clothes. This book has a ting of sadness as both McQueen and Isabella Blow committed suicide. Blow had ovarian cancer and McQueen killed himself not long after Blow, and then his mother died

McQueen’s label lasts and the mantle has been handed to Sarah Burton, who designed the wedding dress of Kate Middleton. Burton talks fondly of her former boss in this book.Burton says, “He was my inspiration everyday. Everything I know, I learnt from him.”  In fact, the book has access to all of the main players in McQueens life. A must have for fashion lovers and McQueen fans.

In this book Plum Sykes says, “The fact was, Alexander created a new silhouette for a generation. When you look back at the history of fashion, the only designers with any longevity – from Balenciaga to Dior to Yves Saint Laurent – are the ones who created their own iconic shape.” This quote is what you learn from Vogue’s series of books on designers: they all created their own shape.I really hope there will be more books in this series.

 

Vogue on: Christian Dior, by Charlotte Sinclair. Dior was such a visionary that he completely changed how women dressed. The ‘New Look’ he invented stunned the fashion world and had a cataclysmic effect. The truth is, Dior did more than create a look, he created a revolution. When Dior showcased his new range so many people would come that even the staircases would be filled. There is a wonderful picture of Marlene Dietrich in this book, clutching her ticket as a child would hang onto candy. This book, and indeed all of the others, is not just a book on fashion, but a book on history. Vogue on Christian Dior is a fascinating read, I could barely put it down. I could also stare at the pictures for hours.

All of Diors couture clients had their own mannequin that was made to their own measurements. Upon reading this I rather longed to be incredibly rich and that Christian Dior was still alive, as it sounded so romantic and wonderful. One of the reasons Dior was so successful was because he gave women what they wanted. “I brought back the neglected art of people pleasing.” He said.

Of course, all of the designers these books are about are dead now. An era ended. Even Alexander McQueen, sadly gone too soon. I hope Vogue do more books in this series. Yves Saint Laurent would be an obvious, and much deserved, subject.

Vogue on: Elsa Schiaparelli, by Judith Watt. Like the rest of the books in the series, Vogue on Elsa Schiaparelli is well illustrated, picture perfect and wonderfully written. Schiaparelli may not be as well known to the wider public as the other designers but she remains influential.

Schiaparelli was also a rare thing, even today: a female fashion designer. She had a lasting rivalry with Coco Chanel who was dismissive of her. Schiaparelli was born into high society but lost all of her money after her husband spent her dowry and then left her and her young daughter. She went to work and managed to open her own label. She said: ‘Poverty forced me to work, Paris gave me a liking for it.” Schiaparelli  not only managed to design her own “look”, she also made designs for different types of women, no matter what their body shape or personality. She was also an artist, collaborating with Salvador Dali and Man Ray,

This book is a brilliant story of flair, tenaciousness and perseverance. A wonderful book.

“Life on the dotted line was of no possible interest.” Elsa Schiaparelli

 

Vogue On is an influential and covetable series of short books from the fashion bible Vogue, celebrating the defining fashion designers of the last century.  The first four books in the series illuminate the significance of Elsa Schiaparelli, Coco Chanel, Christian Dior and Alexander McQueen, each pioneers of their time, and draw extensively on the Vogue archive, the definition of portraiture and fashion illustration. 

 

Alexandra Shulman, Editor of British Vogue, comments “Vogue On offers an authoritative overview of the work of the 20th century’s most influential designers. Unique access to the treasures of the Vogue library combined with concise, elegant and informed writing ensures that this series is an unmissable addition to any student or enthusiast of fashion’s library.”

 

Vogue, the international fashion bible, has charted the careers of designers through the decades. Its unique archive of photographs, taken by the leading photographers of the day from Cecil Beaton to Mario Testino, and original illustrations, together with its highly respected fashion writers, make Vogue the most authoritative and prestigious source of reference on fashion. No magazine is better positioned to present a library on the most influential fashion designers of the modern age.